PH to lead ASEAN dialogue on refining gov't procurement process

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), through the Procurement Service-DBM (PS-DBM), will hold a high-level regional dialogue on Nov. 4 to promote transparent, competitive and digitally-enabled government procurement across Southeast Asia.

Titled “From Spending to Growth: Public Procurement as a Driver of Economic Competitiveness in ASEAN,” the event will be held at Makati Diamond Residences, bringing together senior government officials, economic and procurement experts, development partners, civil society representatives and private sector stakeholders.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DBM said the dialogue aims to strengthen procurement systems to create opportunities for businesses, attract investments, protect taxpayers’ money and help drive economic growth.

“The initiative seeks to advance a fundamental shift in how governments approach procurement: from treating it primarily as an administrative process to recognizing it as a strategic instrument for economic development,” the DBM said.

“Transparent and predictable procurement systems can encourage greater business participation, promote fair competition, reduce opportunities for corruption and inefficiency, and help governments secure better value for public funds,” it added.

The DBM said streamlining procurement processes can help businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), access government contracts.

Procurement reforms, it added, can also boost investor confidence and improve the business environment.

The DBM said the discussion will focus on three key areas — improving accountability, building investor confidence and advancing digital procurement.

The event will also include a workshop to identify priority reforms and strengthen cooperation among ASEAN member-states.

The discussions are expected to help shape a proposed ASEAN Procurement Agenda.

The dialogue will also provide the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) members, BAC secretariats, technical working groups, procurement officers and government end-user units with insights to improve procurement practices.

Held in support of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship, the event will be led by DBM and PS-DBM, with funding from the European Union and technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme Philippines through the EU-PH Partnership in Reinforcing Capacity, Transparency and Efficiency in Public Procurement.

The initiative also supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to promote good governance, improve public spending, and create a more competitive economic environment under the "Bagong Pilipinas" (New Philippines) vision.

“As the Philippines takes a leading role in regional discussions on procurement reform, the message is clear: public spending must be measured not simply by how much government spends, but by the opportunities it creates, the resources it safeguards, and the results it delivers,” the DBM said.